Ice bucket



w. D. TEAGUE, JR., ETAL 2,948,430

ICE BUCKET Aug. 9, 1960 Filed Jan. 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'IJIII I.

INVENTORS WALTEQ DoemwE-wagai. g mn/n bllrm sauzgfi Wi JW Aug. 9, 1960 w. D. TEAGUE, JR., ETAL 2,943,430

ICE BUCKET Filed Jan'. 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Thai- 2 ICE BUCKET Filed Jan. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 786,861 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) This invention relates to refrigeration, and more in particular to a heat-insulated icebucket, and to the construction and the method of manufacturing heat-insulated storage containers or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved construction of heat-insulated containers and a method of manufacturing the same. A further object is to provide a light weight, portable, refrigerated container. A further object is to provide for the above with a construction which is light in weight, easy to manufacture, sturdy and durable in use and adaptable to various conditions which are encountered with constructions of this character. These and other objects will be in part obvious, and in part pointed out below.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation with one embodiment of the invention; 7

Figure 2. is a side elevation with parts broken away of the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment of Fig ures l and 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the lid and handle illustrating the manner of removing the lid; I

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the structure at the upper left-hand portion of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line -6-,-6.of Figure 5;

parts broken away of other handle construction; and

Figure 8 is a section view on the line 8-.-8 of Figure 7.

have been provided of many diiferent'types and constructions. Each of these has had faults or objectionable features, and has had disadvantages in use. It is an objectof the present invention to provide a refrigerated chest Figure 7 is a side view with parts broken away of an- In the past, portable refrigerated chests and ice buckets Patented Aug. 9, 1960 "ice Handle 8 is formed by a central metal sleeve 10 and a 1 pair of sleeve plugs or end sleeves 24 and 26 (see Figures 3 and 5) telescoped respectively into the ends of sleeve 22. Sleeves 24 and 26 are identical, and sleeve 24 will be described by reference to Figures 5 and 6. The righthand end of sleeve 24 is of slightly larger diameter than the inside diameter of sleeve 10 and is provided with a large number of parallel slots 30 which form fingers 32. Hence, when the sleeves are telescoped, as shown, fingers 32 tend to grip the inner surface of sleeve 10, each end of sleeve 10 rests against a shoulder 34. The central portion 36 of sleeve 24 has a segment cut away at the bot tom to form a flat surface 38 (see also Figure 4) for a purpose which will beexplained below. i

The extreme left-hand or outer end of sleeve 24 pro jects through an opening 48 in the wall of the inner shell 14, and the sleeve has a radial pocket'40 into which there is snugly received a lug or key 42 integral with the shell. This key and pocket provide a stationary interengagement between sleeve 24 and the container wall construction; this prevents the turning of the sleeve, and also provides a strong supporting connection between the end of the handle and the container. The end of sleeve 24 also has a peripheral slot 44, into which there is inserted a flat metal snap ring 46. Snap ring 46 is positioned at the left of the shell wall and cooperates with the key or lug 42 and its pocket to hold the sleeve in the assembled position shown with respect to the shell wall.

, The handle is installed as the initial step in assembling the container 4. Shell 14 ispsulficiently flexible to permit its sidewalls, as viewed in Figure l, to flex outwardly somewhat. Hence, the three sleeves 10, 24 and 26 are telescoped, as shown, and one end is projected through its opening 48 in the shell wall. The shell is then flexed outwardly, so that the other end of the handle may be moved into alignment with its opening .48, and the shell is then permitted to snap back so that the end of the sleeve or ice bucket which is free of the faults and objectional features of the prior constructions. V t

Referring to Figure l of the drawings, a refrigerated chest or ice bucket 2 is formed by a heat-insulated container 4, a swingable and removable lid 6and a handle 8. The entire construction is of plastic, except for the V I main portion of the handle which is a rigid metal tube 10.

Container 4 is of heat-insulated, double-wall 'construction, there being an outer shell 12 and an inner shell 14 which are separated from each other by an insulated space which is filled with a body of plastic'foam 16.. Integral with the top of the inner shell 14 is an outer skirt 18 which extends downwardly and forms the outer wall of the top container. The bottomof skirt 18 overlaps the top of the outer shell 12 and has a groove into which a bead 20 of the outer shell extends. The top of the outer shell and the bottom of the skirt are welded together so as to form an integral double Wall container. The body of insulated plastic foam 16 extends throughout the space between the outer shell 12 and the inner shell 14 and also between the skirt 18 and the inner shell so that the entire container iscompletely insulated.

enters its opening. Each of the snap rings 46 is then inserted into its groove 44, working from the edge of the skirt 18. The snap rings have sufficient resiliency to slip into place without difiiculty and, when assembled, they provide a permanent attachment between the handle end and the shell wall. Thereafter, the insulation and the outer shell are put into place, and the skirt and outer shell are welded together along the peripheral zone where they overlap a Lid 6 is formed by a top or outer shell 50, va layer 52 of expanded plastic foam and an inner or bottom poly.- ester-jel coating or layer 54. Lid 6 is swingably mounted upon handle 8 adjacent the ends of the handle by a pair. of open knuckles 56 and 58 integral with shell of the lid. These knuckles present journal surfaces which mate with the surfaces of the central portions 36 of the endsleeves 24 and 26 of the handle, thus to permit the lid to swing freely to and from the fully open position represented by. broken lines in'Figure 2. However, when thelid is in the central or upright position of Figure 4, the open slots of knuckles 56 and 58 are in alignment with the flat surface 38 of the sleeves, and the lid may be disengaged from the handle by slidingit toward the front of the container, asrepresented in Figure 4. j

As shown best in Figures 2 and 3, at the top center of the front wall of container 4, the inner shell 14 is connected to its skirt 18 by a wall portion which forms a ledge 60, and at the right there is an upstanding wall 62 which is the center portion of the upper edge of the inner shell. The

closed, its peripheral upper edge forms a continuous surface extension of the peripheral upper edge of the container.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention is generally rectangular in horizontal cross section, with side walls 60 and 62, a front wall 64 and a rear wall 66. The side walls project above the front and rear walls to provide the handle attaching means from which the container is supported. When the lid is swung to the fully opened position, as shown in broken lines in Figure 2, relatively large items may be placed in and removed from the container. Furthermore, as pointed out above, the lid may be removed so that the open top of the container is obstructed only by the handle. The lid rests in the brokenline position when it is swung back, but it falls to the fully-closed position when it is swung forwardly of its pivot center. When the lid is closed, there is a seal throughout the periphery of the lid, formed by a press fit along the front of the container, and sliding fits along the sides and rear of the-container.

As indicated above, handle 8 is permanently assembled on the container, and the keys or lugs 42 provide supporting means and also strengthen the shell construction so that the lifting and supporting forces are distributed. The ice bucket is readily carried by a person grasping the handle with one hand, and preferably holding the rear side (the right-hand side in Figure 2) toward the body. When held in this manner, the arm extends straight down from the shoulder without the top of the ice bucket touching the thigh; and while the bottom of the bucket swings toward the leg, the taper of the body prevents interference between the leg and the ice bucket.

Shells 12 and 14 are substantially equally spaced throughout the bottom and side walls of the container, and the bottom wall is curved upwardly, as indicated in broken lines in Figures 1 and 2. The body of insulation foam 16 has sufficient rigidity to provide support between the shell walls of the inner and outer shells. The resulting wall assembly is sufficiently strong to make it unnecessary to provide reinforcing structure.

An all-plastic handle 68 is represented in Figures 7 and 8, and comprises an upper main shell 70 and a lower shell 72. The two shells snap together and are spot welded to hold them assembled. The handle is provided with reinforcing longitudinal and cross webs 74 and 76. Handle 68 is assembled to container 4 in the same manner as handle 8.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the steps of the method and the mechanical features of the above invention herein described, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

As illustrative of a modified form of the invention, it should be pointed out that, under some circumstances, the foam insulation may be replaced by other insulation such as, for example, fiber glass. Hence, while foam insulation gives special and desirable results, many features of the invention may be incorporated into structures using other types of insulation.

We claim:

1. An ice bucket or the like comprising the combination of a container formed by a double-walled structure having an outer shell and an inner shell with there being a vide supporting means for the container; a substantially cylindrical handle structure attached at its ends to said supporting means and extending therebetween, the connection between each end of said handle and said supporting means comprising a end portion on the handle projecting through an opening in said inner shell and a snap ring positioned in a slot in the end of the handle between the inner shell and its skirt, said inner shell and its skirt having an integral lug portion which is positioned in a recess in the top of the end portion of the handle; and a lid for said container swingably supported upon said handle and adapted to swing to and from a position wherein it closes the top of said container.

2. An ice bucket as described in claim 1, wherein said handle comprises a control metal sleeve and a pair of end plugs telescoped therein and each being formed by a portion positioned within the end of the metal sleeve and having fingers which engage the inner surface thereof.

3. An ice bucket as described in claim 2, wherein each of said end plugs has a cylindrical portion which has a portion thereof cut away to provide a fiat surface, and wherein said lid has a pair of open knuckles which are journaled respectively on the cylindrical portions of said end plugs and which may be removed therefrom by swinging the knuckles to a position wherein one side of the opening in the knuckle may be moved alon the fiat surface of its cylindrical portion.

4. An ice bucket as described in claim 3, wherein said lid is hinged toward the rear of the container and a sliding seal is provided at the rear and sides of the container while a pressure seal is provided at the front of the container.

5. An ice bucket as described in claim 4, wherein the top edge of the front wall of the container is provided with a recess beneath the edge of the lid whereby the lid may be engaged and lifted.

6. An ice bucket as described in claim 5, wherein said lid is formed of a plastic top wall and a layer of foam insulation attached to the bottom surface thereof and wherein the exposed surfaces of the foam insulation are covered by a protective coating.

7. An ice bucket as described in claim 6, wherein the container is substantially rectangular in horizontal cross section, and wherein the bottom wall is dished upwardly.

8. An ice bucket as described in claim 1, wherein said handleis an elongated plastic structure formed by a lower member and an upper member nested together.

9. An ice bucket as described in claim 1, wherein said body of insulation comprises a substantially continuous layer of rigid plastic foam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,472,707 Weisz Oct. 30, 1923 2,629,698 Sterling Feb. 24, 1953 2,740,517 Evans Apr. 3, 1956 2,797,840 Gibbs July 2, 1957 

